Virtual Assistant Safety Officer (ASO) Course

This course provides participants with course work for the position of Assistant Safety Officer (ASO). It covers the roles and responsibilities of an ASO and the relationship of the ASO to the Safety Officer (SO) within the Incident Command System (ICS). The student will review the administrative functions of the SO (e.g., participating Incident Management Team meetings and incident briefings, and conducting investigations) but the real emphasis will be on how to be the “eyes and ears” of the SO in the field. This training is designed to provide the ASO with a better understanding of field operations to help ensure the smooth flow of information between the field and Incident Command. This, in turn, helps improve the efficiency and safety of field operations, and decreases the likelihood of injuries and "stop work" orders.

Instructional methods include lectures, videos, class discussions, and group exercises. A certificate of course completion will be awarded to those students who have 100% attendance.

Target Group

This course is intended for U.S. EPA personnel who have completed the 24-hour EPA Field Health and Safety Training Course and/or the 40-Hour HAZWOPER Training Course. This course is REQUIRED for all new ASOs and RECOMMENDED for ASOs who have already served as an ASO. An instructor will review all registrations.

Objectives

After completing the course, participants will be able to:

• Identify ASO roles and responsibilities;
• Describe the interactions of the ASO with the SO and other Incident Command positions;
• Locate and use the tools found in the EPA SO Toolbox;
• Perform the administrative functions of the SO;
• Identify common safety concerns on project sites, and specific hazards associated with different kinds of emergencies;
• Use the ASO Field Audit Guidance document to evaluate and control site hazards;
• Describe specific areas of special technical expertise that ASOs can contribute to site operations; and
• Identify references and resources that can be consulted for additional information.   

In compliance with Executive Order 13589 - Promoting Efficient Spending, Section 5; the ERTP will not be regularly printing or providing students hard copies of the course manual. Students may obtain an electronic copy of the student manual for personal printing or e-reading at:

https://www.ertpvu.org/ClassroomCourseDetail.aspx?id=52

Previous Events (click to view/hide)

Live Online Class, Internet Based Event Details   December 01, 2020 - December 02, 2020